The Unorthodox Tomb Raider

However, to Fang Yun's surprise, he had originally thought it might be a young man, because only a young man would have a stronger sense of perception and be able to hear the slightest sound.

But instead of a man, a man nearing seventy years old arrived, dressed in a gray long coat and sporting a short, gray beard. He carried a hoe and a vegetable basket on his shoulders, looking no different from an old farmer in the countryside.

"Could it be that I misjudged him, and he's just a small-time vegetable farmer from the countryside?"

Fang Yun thought to himself.

That possibility cannot be ruled out. Although the tomb below is precious, it's all for naught if it can't be opened. Perhaps the previous group gave up, or perhaps they passed away, so it's normal that they didn't continue to manage this place.

Of course, while such a possibility exists, it is not very high.

According to Fang Yun's understanding, most tomb raiders find it difficult to give up treasures that are within their grasp and right in front of them, especially since they have already come this far, it is absolutely impossible for them to abandon the project.

Regardless, Fang Yun decided to find out the old man's identity first.

After that, Fang Yun didn't rush out. He stayed in the same spot and watched the old man enter the yard, then slowly start feeding the chickens and doing housework. Everything seemed so ordinary.

Fang Yun thought he had misjudged the situation and was about to go out to ask the farmer for a bowl of water when the old farmer suddenly called out to Fang Yun, "Young man, you must be tired after squatting for so long. I feel sorry for you seeing how hard you are working. Why don't you come to my little house and have a drink of water?"

Almost instantly, Fang Yun was so surprised that he almost fell backward. He hadn't expected that he had been discovered by the other party without even realizing it.

This is enough to show that the other party's cultivation is far superior to his own. The previous guesses must have been correct; the reason this person lives here is to guard that dry well that leads down to the underground palace.

Since he had already been discovered, Fang Yun didn't stand on ceremony and walked out from behind the rock.

As they walked, Fang Yun smiled and said politely, "Old man, please don't blame me for deliberately avoiding you. I've seen too much wickedness in people's hearts along the way, so I have to be careful."

Upon hearing Fang Yun's words, the old man still wore a warm smile on his face. He didn't say much, but instead opened the bamboo gate of the fence and warmly welcomed Fang Yun in.

"No problem, no problem at all. I've been living in these mountains for a long time and I'm quite bored. Your presence is perfect for keeping me company and having a chat."

Fang Yun nodded and walked into the courtyard.

The courtyard looked very clean. Although there were only a few small thatched huts, they were arranged neatly, and each hut had its own items. The kitchen, guest rooms, and woodshed were all available.

"The old man is in high spirits. Living in these mountains must be very pleasant."

Fang Yun asked tentatively.

Upon hearing this, the old man replied, "You're right. To be honest, I've lived in my old place for far too long. It's crowded and noisy, and I can't keep my ears clean. So I found this place where I can be free and comfortable."

Fang Yun hummed in agreement.

However, he knew in his heart that this old man was no ordinary person. If Fang Yun hadn't already anticipated this, he might have been fooled by this explanation.

Chapter 357 Secrets

Since the stone door to the tomb obviously couldn't be opened anytime soon, Fang Yun simply decided to stay in the small house.

Fortunately, the old man was quite hospitable, and the thatched hut was indeed too empty for one person to live in. Fang Yun would help with some simple farm work while living there, so the two got along quite well.

Of course, there were some things that the two of them understood but did not say aloud.

Fang Yun did not try to find out the old man's identity, and the old man did not ask about Fang Yun's background.

After staying for several days, Fang Yun still couldn't find any clues about the old man. The old man was like an impenetrable wall, and no information could be leaked out.

But the more this happened, the more Fang Yun's fighting spirit was ignited.

This is enough to show that this tomb is indeed very important; otherwise, they wouldn't have sent such a seasoned veteran to guard it.

Another day passed, and just as Fang Yun woke up, the old man came to Fang Yun's room, his forehead wrinkles noticeably deeper.

Fang Yun anticipated that the old man might speak, so he quickly sat up, wanting to hear what the old man wanted to say to him.

"Young Master Fang, I've spent the last few days with you and I think you're quite young and kind-hearted. So today I have an important matter I'd like you to handle for me."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yun immediately perked up. Could it be that the old man had trusted him so quickly and wanted him to help him explore the tomb?

If that's the case, the old man would surely tell him about some of his previous findings.

In that case, it would indeed be very beneficial for me to crack that door, and it wouldn't be in vain that I stayed here for these past few days.

Fang Yun felt a surge of excitement upon thinking about this.

"Actually, I wanted to tell you before, but I figured these things weren't important to you, so I let it go."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yun replied, "Uncle, your business is my business. I'm bothering you here now, which is already causing you trouble. If there's anything I can do for you, I will do my best."

Upon hearing this, the old man smiled with satisfaction and said, "Since that's the case, then I'll be frank. However, this task is a bit difficult. You can decide for yourself. If you feel you can't do it, just say so. I won't blame you."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yun assumed that the old man was about to talk about the things under the tomb, something that truly required professional expertise that no one could handle.

He patted his chest and said, "Uncle, I can't guarantee anything else, but you can rest assured about one thing: I'm a reliable and patient person. Even if something is difficult, I'll learn more and I'm sure I can get the hang of it eventually."

"Okay, I'm relieved to hear that. Don't worry, I'll have a nice gift for you after this is all over."

Fang Yun chuckled inwardly when he heard the old man say this. The old man probably didn't know that the best gift was information about the tomb below.

Then, Fang Yun exchanged a few more polite words, and only then did the old man slowly arrive.

“Young friend Fang, as you can see here, it wasn’t easy to build this courtyard. I don’t have that much money myself; it was all funded by an old friend of mine in town.”

When Fang Yun heard the old man say this, he suddenly felt something was amiss. What did this have to do with his old friend?

Could it be that this old man came here as a guard because of that friend?

"The situation is this: my old friend used to be a influential person in town, but that made him the target of some people's jealousy. I'm asking you for help this time because I want you to go and help him."

"I was originally obliged to go, but now I'm too weak to walk, so I have no choice but to ask you to go and meet me."

Hearing this, Fang Yun was somewhat disappointed, but he didn't show it. He asked curiously, "Old man, you said yourself that your friend is a big shot in town. Now that even he can't overcome this difficulty, do you think I have the ability to help him?"

The old man had anticipated Fang Yun's question, so he said, "In any case, sending you shows my goodwill. Besides, after spending these past few days together, I think you're quite intelligent, and I trust you with this matter."

(Wang Nuo Zhao) Fang Yun had no choice but to agree to the matter after seeing the old man's words, since he would need his help in the future.

Fang Yun's biggest worry was that this trip would take too long, which would be a loss, especially since Wu Xie was waiting for him to meet up at the bottom of the tomb.

"By the way, young friend Fang, I, this old man, keep my word. Once this matter is finished, I will give you a gift, and I guarantee you will be satisfied with it."

At this point, the old man revealed a meaningful smile, which made Fang Yun suddenly feel that he was somewhat unpredictable.

Fang Yun had no choice but to nod slightly, which was considered an acceptance of the matter.

Chapter 358 Heading to Wuliu Town

After tidying up briefly, the old man prepared a special braised rabbit dish for Fang Yun that evening as a farewell meal. Early the next morning, Fang Yun left the hut and headed to Wuliu Town.

Holding the letter given to him by the old man, Fang Yun also had some doubts.

Since this old man usually stays at home due to mobility issues, where did he get the news about Wuliu Town from?

You should know that this place is quite far from Wuliu Town, and the whole way is through high mountains and riverbeds with little to no signal. If you want to know news from the outside world...

First, you can go out and see for yourself; second, you have to rely on people to run and deliver it to you.

Of course, there's no use in thinking about it now. What he really wants is an opportunity to get closer to the old man so that he can eventually get him to reveal something.

Fang Yun was in his prime, with his legs and feet in great ease. In addition, Fang Yun did not want to waste time and thought that the sooner he could resolve this matter, the better. So he had already crossed 697 and several hills in one morning.

At this speed, Fang Yun should be able to reach Wuliu Town before nightfall tonight.

Fortunately, the weather wasn't too hot today, and there was a mountain breeze blowing from time to time. Fang Yun enjoyed the sightseeing along the way and even felt a sense of exhilaration.

"It seems that life has been a bit stressful before, and daily life is quite boring. Coming out to see the world has become an interesting thing."

Fang Yun shook his head with amusement, and before he knew it, an afternoon had passed. Standing on a small hill, Fang Yun could already vaguely see the outline of a small town in the distance.

"It seems we won't get there until evening at the earliest."

Fang Yun was hoping to get into town for a good meal, but seeing the distance, he could only take out the bag of dry food from his pocket and eat a few bites.

This kind of dry food is hard to eat. Although some salt has been added, it gets drier and drier the more you eat it. Chewing it for too long can even make your cheeks tired.

After finally arriving at Wuliu Town, Fang Yun noticed that only a few streetlights were still on. The town seemed to retain the architectural style of many years ago, carrying a touch of antiquity. The buildings were low, and still used black tiles.

"anyone there?"

At this moment, Fang Yun saw a place that looked like a wine shop. Although the door was ajar, it was obvious that there were people inside, and he could hear voices talking.

Fang Yun decided to give it a try and went up to knock on the door. As soon as Fang Yun's knocking sounded, the voices that had been inside immediately stopped.

"Do you still have any alcohol? I'd like to have a hot meal."

Fang Yun called out again, and immediately a series of hurried footsteps sounded from inside, heading towards the door.

Fang Yun thought the shop owner must have heard and was about to come over, so he planned to push the door open and go in. But just as Fang Yun was about to push the door open, he heard a "bang" and the door was actually slammed shut from the inside.

Fang Yun stood outside the door, feeling somewhat bewildered.

Even if this person doesn't want to do business, or (bjbd) has closed down and has no food left, they can just say so. Why make it so rude?

Fang Yun was too lazy to talk to the shop owner anymore, so he turned around and left. When he glanced at the shop again after turning the corner, he found that even the lights inside had been blown out.

Fang Yun felt a little uneasy. If she really didn't know the other person, Fang Yun even wondered if she had some past conflict with the shop owner.

Fortunately, Wuliu Town is quite large. Besides here, there are other shops with restaurant signs along the streets. However, as Fang Yun walked along, he found that these shops were either closed or in the same situation as the one he had just visited.

When Fang Yun went up to inquire, the door wasn't even opened, and without saying a word, the lights were turned off.

"Could they be hiding from a plague god?!"

Fang Yun was a little angry. He had only come to have a meal, but he hadn't expected to suffer such a thing.

If I had known, I would have gone directly to the Chen family's house. I had come all this way just to help the Chen family, so there was no reason for him not to treat me well.

Thinking of this, Fang Yun turned and walked in the direction the old man had pointed out.